New Family, Same worries
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Xover with Criminal Minds Just when Patrick and Teresa think their family is safe Red John returns. Can the BAU help catch him or will another Jane family be killed?
1. Chapter 1

Patrick Jane was sleeping. Well, actually he would have been sleeping if his hair wasn't being pulled. Just gentle tugs but enough to keep him awake. "I'm not getting up," he murmured with out opening his eyes. The tugs grew more insistent. "Still not getting up," he repeated. Finally there was a yank. "Ow!" he yelled. "Alright I'm up!"

Patrick opened his eyes to see his son Connor smiling at him. "Gah!" he cried.

"Gah, indeed," Patrick agreed with laugh. He reached up to untangle the little hand from his curls, and then he kissed it. "You are more annoying than your mother," he said.

He laughed as Teresa smacked his shoulder. "You are the annoying one in this household," she said, "And your son is just like you."

He smiled up at his Connor. "I know," he agreed, "Isn't it great?" Teresa laughed and kissed her men.

The Jane family was spending a lazy Sunday afternoon at home. It was rare for them to have such days together. Jane was busy being a consultant for CBI and Teresa was still on maternity leave. She would be returning to active duty as Jane's boss in one week. That meant their 3 month old son would need a nanny. Something Teresa would not stop harping on. She insisted that Patrick be there tomorrow when she interviewed her final candidates.

Patrick agreed with her that they couldn't leave their precious baby alone with just anyone but finding time to be away from work was hard. Still Minelli had promised him that he could have the day off to review nannies with Teris. He was actually looking forward to it.

He was about to drift off again when the doorbell rang. Teresa looked up from her book with a frown. "Were you expecting company?" she asked him.

"Not me," he said, playing with his son, "You?"

"Me either." The door bell came again. Patrick shifted into a sitting position but Teresa laid a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, I'll get it."

He smiled and cuddled his son close. "I'd put a shirt on unless you want to surprise the other person."

Teresa looked down at her shirtless form. She had left it off because it was hot as usual and it was easier to feed Connor like this. She grabbed an old button up blouse and threw it on. "This better?" she asked.

"Much," he told her, "I'm the only one allowed to look under those shirts."

"And what about the baby?" she teased.

"He doesn't remember it," Patrick pointed out.

The doorbell came again. "I'm coming!" Teresa yelled. "You two play, I'll be back in a minute." She sashayed out the door, whistling.

Patrick looked at his son. "Your mom is one wonderful woman," he said with a sigh. Connor let out a giggle. Patrick held him close. In just eight short years he had lost a family and gained a bigger one. It was safe to say that life was pretty good.

Downstairs Teresa found a delivery man on the other side of the door. "Hello there," she greeted.

"Hello ma'am," he said, "I have a flower delivery for a Teresa Jane?"

"That would be me," she said with a smile. How like her husband to send her flowers simply because they had a day off. "Do I need to sign anything?"

"No ma'am," he said, "They were already paid for. Here you are."

Teresa took the red roses with a grin. She truly had the most wonderful husband in the world. She noted the card tucked into the flowers. Her man was such a charmer. She couldn't wait to see what cheesy message he had picked to make her smile.

Patrick was playing peek-a-boo with his boy when he heard the crash. "Teresa?" he called. Getting no answer he scooped up Connor and pounded down stairs. "Teresa!" he yelled again. He found his wife shaking in the front hall, a card clasped in her hands. Around her feet were the shattered remains of a glass vase and a dozen roses. "Teris," he called quietly.

Teresa turned stepping on glass. Her face was pale as a sheet. She looked towards him and Connor but she wasn't really seeing him. "Teresa, sweetheart, you need to be careful, there's glass," he told her. He wanted to comfort her but both of them were in bare feet.

"He knows," she whispered, walking towards him. The crunch of glass made him cringe.

"Teresa darling, just stand still," he told her. She did as he asked. "Sweetheart what is so wrong?"

"He knows," she repeated.

"Who knows what?" he asked.

She held out the note with a shaking hand. Patrick took the note from her. It was a simple card that could be found in any flower shop. Typed on it was a simple message.

_I hope the search goes well. You wouldn't want to lose this baby the way you did the last one. _There was a red smiley face on the bottom.

"Red John knows we're looking for nannies."


	2. Chapter 2

Patrick paced the front hall, willing the team to get here faster. He had already cleaned up the glass and thrown the roses out. Teresa had gone upstairs to feed Connor. He hadn't wanted to let either of them out of his sight but someone had to wait for the rest of the team.

He could have kicked himself. Once again his damn smug arrogance had put his family in danger. He could never let Red John hurt his precious wife and son. He would not be so blind this time. Teris and Connor would be protected, no matter what.

_How_, he wondered. How could he not have seen this coming? He was Patrick Jane, damn it! He saw what others didn't, solved what others couldn't. And still he couldn't protect his own family.

It had been three years. There years with out a single note or taunting email. Actually if he counted right it was three years and six months with out so much as whisper. He thought he was safe. How wrong he was.

He thought he could let people close again. He thought that this time they wouldn't get hurt. After one year, he felt safe enough to ask Teris on a date. After two years, he felt safe enough to let the team into his home which now had a new bed room set and a collage of photos from both his old and new life hanging over the bloody smiley face. He still smiled when he remembered what Teresa had said when she wanted to cover it up.

"_I'm not a total prude," she'd told him, "But Red John does not need be looking in the sex we're having. Sorry but knowing a serial killer is watching is a bit of a turn off."_

He sighed. His brilliant beautiful Teris. After three years, he had felt safe enough to propose to her. They were wed on the beach in a beautiful sunset ceremony with many guests. Then three months ago they had been blessed with Connor. It was all going so well. And now his old nightmare has returned.

He jumped at the sound of the door bell. _Please god, _he prayed, _let it be the team._ Whether or not there was a god, his prayer was answered. All three of them were standing on his doorstep.

"We came as fast as we could," Grace said, "What is this all about?"

"Are you okay?" Wayne asked. He looked Patrick over. "You're pale as a ghost man."

Patrick didn't answer him. "Please come in," he said instead. He held the door open and gestured to the living room. "The card is on the table."

They went inside and found what he was talking about. As each one read it he saw understanding and pity dawn in their eyes. He turned around so he wouldn't have to face them. They didn't need to see the failure he had once more become.

Quiet footsteps broke him from his dark thoughts and he looked up to see Teresa gingerly walking down stairs. She hadn't cut herself deeply but she had cut up her feet a lot. The slippers seemed to be helping though. He stood next to the stairs and reached out to her, pulling her into his arms the minute she was on ground level.

She pulled back enough to look him in the eye. "I-um-I put Connor down for a nap," she said, "He's pretty worn out." She twisted in his grasp to look back up stairs

Patrick cupped her head in his hand and guided it back to his shoulder. "Sweetheart someone would need a very tall ladder to get up there with out being seen," he told her, "And his room faces the front yard. No one is going hurt our baby."

Teresa let out a choked sob. "Oh god, Patrick how does he know?"

"I don't know," he whispered, "But he won't do anything. I promise you." He felt her clutch him tighter. He didn't care if she held him so tight he couldn't breathe. He needed to feel her right now.

The team stared at them. Seeing families in distress was a part of their job yet somehow it was different when you knew the victims. It was also rather strange when the victims were your tough as nails boss and her unfailingly cheerful husband. It was just so wrong.

Grace was the first to recover her wits. "Um, we need to ask you a few questions," she said quietly, "Please just for a moment."

Patrick looked over as though he had forgotten they were there. Then Grace realized he probably had. She kept her expression calm and gentle as she reached out to touch his shoulder. For a minute Jane remained lost in his world of pained memories and terrifying present. Then he came back to himself. "Of course," he replied just as softly. He looked down at his wife. "Come on Teris, this will be quick."

He led her back to the sofa and carefully set her down. He took the seat next to her, grasping her hand in his own. Cho looked at them. They were the picture of every terrified couple he had ever seen. They were also his friends and that made it hurt all the worse.

"Tell us what happened," he said, "Start at the beginning."

"We were upstairs," Patrick started. "Both of us on the bed. I was playing with Connor while Teresa read a book. Then we heard the door bell ring."

"Neither of us was expecting anything," Teresa said picking up the thread. "We were going to let it go but they were insistent. I told Patrick to play with Connor and I'd be back up in a minute."

"What happened when you answered the door?" Cho pressed.

"There was a delivery guy there," she said. She looked around as though the walls held her answers. "He said he had a flower delivery for me."

"Was he acting unusual?" Rigsby asked, "Nervous maybe?"

Teresa shook her head. "He was perfectly normal."

"Can you describe him?" Grace asked.

Teresa ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know, a delivery guy," she said, "Like every other delivery guy. When was the last time you noticed someone delivering flowers?" Her voice was beginning to get hysterical.

Patrick wrapped his arms around her. "Hush Teris," he whispered, "They're just trying to help."

"I know," she whispered, "I swear I know. I'm just so scared. Connor's just three months Patrick. He can't even talk yet." The only thing Patrick could do was hold her close.

"Don't worry," Grace said confidently. "Nothing is going to happen to Connor. We'll make sure of it."

Teresa wiped her eyes and smiled at Grace. "I know," she repeated. She took a deep breath. "Um, where was I?"

"The delivery guy," Patrick prompted gently.

"Right. So I asked him if there was anything I needed to sign and he said no that they had already been paid for. So I thanked him and took the vase."

"One question," Rigsby said, "You didn't find anything odd about an unexpected flower delivery in the middle of the afternoon?"

Teresa shook her head. "I thought they were from Patrick," she shrugged. "He does it all the time."

Rigsby looked at him. "You buy flowers for no reason?"

"I love my wife," he said, "That's reason enough." He gave the other man a conspiratorial smile. "Women love to get presents that they weren't expecting. Especially when it's done on a day that holds no significance to either of you. Makes it more special that way. And it shows that you care."

"Some of us don't have the money to be buying flowers left and right," Cho pointed out.

"Doesn't have to be flowers," Patrick shrugged. "In fact sometimes smaller is better. Something not so average, something that fits her."

Teresa smiled at her husband. "Can we save the dating advice for later?" she asked. "I'd like to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Of course," he agreed, "Sorry."

"Alright so the delivery man hands you the flowers, he leaves, you close the door," Cho said, "Then what?"

"Then I noticed the card in the flowers. Patrick always picks out some sort of cheesy message when he sends these things." She passed to smile at the memory.

"I am not cheesy," Patrick contradicted trying to be as light as possible.

Teresa leaned up to kiss his cheek. "You are," she said, "But I like it." Then she turned back to the team. "So I pulled the card out. When I read it I was so shocked I dropped the vase."

"That's when I came downstairs," Patrick told them. "I heard the crash and called down for Teresa but she didn't answer. So I grabbed Connor and came pounding down the stairs. She was just standing in the front hall there shaking. I called her name and she turned but I knew she was still in shock by the way she was stepping on glass. I told her to be careful but she started walking toward me saying 'He knows'. I told her to stand still, which she did, then asked her what was going on. She just repeated he knows. I asked her who knows what. At that point she handed me the card to read. Then she said 'Red John knows we're looking for nannies'."

Teresa squeezed his hand tightly. "After that, I called you guys and then went upstairs to feed Connor. Patrick stayed down here to clean up the mess. You know the rest," she said.

"It's been three years," Cho stated, "Why would Red John contact you now?"

"Maybe to toy with me?" Jane guessed. "I don't know. What I do know is I won't let him get my family again."

"And we'll help," Rigsby promised. There were murmurs of agreement from Cho and Grace.

"First thing is get that card to the CSI techs," Teresa said, slipping into boss mode, "See if they can pull anything off of it. I know it's a long shot but it's still a shot. Grace that's your job. Cho, you and Rigsby go find this flower store. See if they can identify who paid for the roses."

They nodded and promised again that they would help find this guy. Patrick and Teresa showed them out but Grace paused on the threshold. On impulse she reached out to hug her boss. Teresa looked surprise for a moment but hugged back. "This will work out," Grace told her.

"I know," Teresa agreed. She let her not so rookie agent go. "Thank you."

Grace smiled and turned to Patrick. "I know you don't believe in God," she said, "But I'm still going to pray for your family tonight. And every night until this is over."

Patrick nodded. "For once, I really hope I'm wrong about that," he told her. Grace smiled then hugged him too. Patrick let her go with a kiss to her cheek. "Be safe," he told her.

Once the door was closed he gathered his wife into his arms. "It'll be okay," he said.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" she asked.

"Both," he told her quietly.

"Let's go watch Connor sleep," Teresa said.


	3. Chapter 3

Cho and Rigsby were just leaving the flower shop when they got the terse call from Grace. She had they had to come quickly because there was a development in the case. Her tone of voice made them think it was a development they weren't going to like.

Their suspicion grew stronger as they saw Grace fuming in their offices. "You look pissed," Cho remarked.

"Because I am," she said. "I told Hightower about what happened with the boss and Patrick."

"And?" Rigsby pressed.

"And he called the FBI," Van Pelt exploded. They stared at her. "A group called the BAU is currently getting ready to fly over here," she sighed, "They're going to take over our case."

"This is Jane and the boss," Rigsby said, "We should be the ones working it."

"He's right," Cho agreed. "These people don't even know anything about Red John let alone the boss and her family."

"Can't we stop this?" Rigsby asked.

Grace shook her head. "The call was already made. Hightower said her hands are tied."

"We should let them know," Cho said. There was no need for him to elaborate. Grace pulled out her cell phone and went to Teresa's office to call her in private. The same thought was running through all of their heads. Each was wondering what was going on in Quantico and who these people were that were soon going to trample over all their hard work.

At that moment the BAU wasn't in Quantico but instead on a plane heading for the scene of their next case. "So what do we know about this Red John?" Rossi asked as JJ handed out case files.

"He kills mostly women in their late twenties to mid thirties," Reid said, "His signature is a red smiley face drawn over the victims bodies which are placed so that you see both the face and the bodies as soon as you open the door."

"That means he's a narcissist," Hotch said. "He wants his work to be seen."

"He also considers himself an artist or a showman," Morgan said, "He likes to think he's original."

Rossi snorted. "Don't they all?" he commented.

"Drawing in the victim's blood is unusual," Prentiss commented, "Is there something significant other than the signature?"

"Not likely," Hotch responded. "The way the victims were brutalized shows that he views them merely as objects. They are there for his use and then discarded immediately afterward."

"Clearly he's a sexual sadist," Prentiss said. "You don't get cuts that precise with anything other than a very sharp knife. We all know the penetration symbolism there. Most likely also means he's impotent."

"He's also methodical," Rossi pointed out. "He uses a kitchen glove to cover his hand when drawing the face so you can't trace his prints. Not to mention he's killed over sixteen women and never been caught."

"Seventeen women if you count a prostitute in Tijuana," Morgan commented.

"Seventeen women, one man and one child," JJ murmured. She frowned at the statistics. "Garcia, are you there?" she called.

The blonde tech appeared on the computer screen. "Your goddess of omnipotence is at your service," she responded.

"It says here that the man Red John killed died because he was trying to contact the police. What about the one child? Isn't odd for him to go off target like that?"

Hotch nodded. "All the other victims were either necessary kills or women of a specific age range. Clearly children weren't his type. Can you bring up the case file Garcia? The victims' names are Kathryn and Fiona Jane."

They heard the clacking of her keyboard for a few moments before she answered again. "I have it," she said, "The victims were a mother and her daughter." Her face saddened. "The poor little girl was only six. They were both killed eight years ago."

"Who found them?"

"It says here the husband." She let out an almost gasp.

"What is it baby girl?" Morgan asked.

"The husband's name is Patrick Jane," she said.

"That name sounds familiar," Rossi mused.

"It should sir, he used to make quite the living as psychic," Garcia said. "He even had his own talk show where he would help people communicate with their lost loved ones."

"Now I remember," Rossi agreed, "My second wife was a big fan of his. His show ran along side all the day time religious channels and she'd always have him on. I caught it once or twice."

"What did you think of it?" Hotch asked.

"The man would've made one hell of a profiler," Rossi told him. "He was that good. What happened to him Garcia?"

"Well he used to help out the police on cases and they asked him to consult on Red John," she said. "Mr. Jane made the mistake of taunting Red John when he went on a local talk show down there. He came home that night to find a note from Red John telling Mr. Jane that he didn't like to be called a coward and that if he was really psychic he wouldn't have to open the door to know what Red John had done to his and I quote 'lovely wife and daughter'."

"So he killed the little girl and her mother because this guy mouthed off at him?" JJ said. "Clearly he does not like to be put down."

"Of course not," Rossi said, "It's the narcissism showing through." He turned back to the computer. "What happened to the husband after that?"

"He went through quite the crisis sir," Garcia said.

"His wife and daughter were brutally murdered and then the bodies left for him to find," Hotch replied, "I can't imagine who wouldn't go through crisis."

"Well he denounced his psychic powers and those of all others as fake and dropped off the map for awhile," Garcia reported. "Since I am finding prescriptions for sleep medication and antidepressants I'd say mental hospital."

"Isn't it in his record?" Morgan asked.

"Nope," she told him, "My guess is he paid a lot of money to make it go away. And I think I just found the reason."

"What's that?"

"About a year after dropping off the map he was hired as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation. He is still employed there to this day."

"He wanted to keep tabs on Red John," Hotch surmised.

"And he did," Garcia said. "There are reports of Red John doing all sorts of things to taunt Mr. Jane while he was a consultant. However all communication abruptly ceased three years ago."

"All until today," JJ said with a nod. "The woman I spoke to, an agent Hightower, said that one of her senior agents and her husband had received a threatening note."

"Did he say what was in the note?" Hotch asked.

"He didn't know. The senior agent called in her team when she found out who the note was from. They had already sent it to forensics when she was informed of the situation."

"Hey Garcia," Morgan called, "See if you can pull up their files on this."

"You want me to hack into the files of the CBI's forensics unit?" Garcia asked.

"It's better to be prepared," Hotch said.

"As you command my captain," she shrugged. After a moment she looked back up. "Found it. It was apparently from a local flower shop, attached to a dozen red roses and delivered to a Teresa Jane."

"Teresa Jane?" Rossi repeated. "That's the same last name as the psychic that taunted him. Are they related in some way?"

"If by related you mean married, then yes," Garcia confirmed. "It says here that the new Mrs. Jane is head of the Serious Crimes Division of CBI. She had just gotten the promotion when her future husband started there only back then she was Teresa Lisbon. She had only one other agent with her, a Kimball Cho. A year later a Wayne Rigsby joined them and then three years after that a Miss Grace Van Pelt graced their ranks. From that day to this there have been no more additions to the team. Not that they would need any, they have the highest solve rate in the department."

"What can you tell us about Patrick and Teresa?" Prentiss asked.

"Um, from what I can get from reports Teresa was very straight-laced and against Patrick's quote 'unconventional' methods. However he must have grown on her because after awhile her reports become less and less harsh. Ooh this is interesting, she notes in her early reporting that Jane liked to sleep on a couch in the office instead of going home at night."

"Too many memories in an empty house," Rossi agreed, "What else?"

"Uh, everyone else on the team seems to like him," Garcia said, "After the first year Teresa not only stops trying to get him kicked out but actively begins to defend him when he's in trouble. If you want to know about their personal life you will have to talk to them but I do have a marriage license from about a year ago here."

"So they meet through work, start to bond and then when it seems as though Red John is no longer a threat Jane asks Teresa out," Prentiss said, "They get closer eventually get married. Anything else?"

"Very much so," Garcia told them. "The two happen to have a three month old son named Connor."

"Uh, Garcia was exactly did the note on the roses say?" Reid asked.

"It said 'I hope the search goes well. You wouldn't want to lose this baby like you did the last one'. There was no signature, only a smiley face in red ink."

"The search?" Morgan asked. "That's all it said? The search?"

"Correct," Garcia nodded. "If you want an explanation I would talk to the family."

"The smiley face signature is consistent with our UNSUB," Hotch mused. "Garcia where do the Janes live?"

"Patrick Jane's address hasn't changed so I can only assume they didn't feel like wasting a good home," she said.

"Wait, you're saying that a man lost his entire family, remarried and then the new wife moved into the house where her husband's former wife and daughter were brutally murdered?" Prentiss asked.

"That would be correct," Garcia confirmed. Prentiss couldn't quite find an answer for that.

"Thank you," Hotch said quietly to Garcia. He turned off the computer.

"Who does that?" Prentiss wondered.

"A very dedicated woman," JJ told her.

"Well, we're about to meet her," Hotch said. "Rossi, take Reid and Morgan to the Jane residence and talk to the family. Maybe they can provide a few helpful clues. JJ, I want you to keep strict tabs on the media, we don't want to drag the husband through this all again. Prentiss you and I will meet Mrs. Jane's team and see what they can tell us. We need to be sharp on this one people. This serial killer knows what we do and, thanks to Patrick Jane, how we work. We can't let him get ahead of us."

The team murmured their agreement and settled in to review the case files for the rest of the flight. One thing they were certain of was that this would be a case like none of them had ever experienced.


	4. Chapter 4

Rossi looked at house they had just pulled up to. It was a rather large two story house that looked over the ocean in the back. There were large windows in the front that would let in plenty of light. From the outside it was the perfect home for a middle class family wanting to grow. "Doesn't look like a place a serial killer would target," Morgan opined.

"They never do," Rossi told him.

The three agents made their way up to the door where Rossi rang the doorbell. It was opened just enough for the chain lock to be pulled taunt. From the shaft of light falling in they could see a petite woman with sharp green eyes and black hair studying them. The slice of light that found its way onto her face was enough for Rossi to tell that this was a woman who was used to being in charge. He could also see that her skin was paler than normal for a woman that would be out in the California sun more often than not. She seemed more angry than distressed which made Rossi very curious. "Who are you?" she demanded.

All three pulled out their badges. "Ma'am, I'm Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi, this is Special Agent Derek Morgan and Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid. We're from the FBI and we're here to talk to you about the flower delivery you received earlier."

"I want to talk to your supervisor," she stated.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"You heard me," she said. "Supervisor. Now. Get your cell phone out and call him. It's that or we don't' work with you." Morgan let out a whistle as Rossi handed her the phone. She hit one on the speed dial. "No, this is not Agent Rossi," she said, clearly Hotch had been expecting David. "This is Teresa Jane. I'm the one whose team originally had this case…Here's my proposition, Agent Hotchner. If you want this case you have to share it with my team. Every piece of evidence you get, you share with my team. Every lead you chase down we come with you…because it's either that or we stone wall you. And let me add that you have not _seen _an uncooperative witness until you have watched my husband in action." She paused listening to what was saying. After a moment she smiled brightly. "Glad to see we understand each other," she said, "Thank you." She snapped the phone shut and close the door.

Rossi could hear the shift of mechanisms as she unlocked the triple locks on the door. She handed him back his phone. "So you're Mrs. Jane," Rossi stated.

"Teresa Jane," she agreed. "Please come in." She stood aside so they could enter the open and airy house. "Patrick's with our son in the den. This way please." They followed her to a small room in the shape of an octagon with a sunken floor.

Wall-E was on the TV and there was a man sitting on one of the many pillows scattered through out the room. He was in a suit and his back was to them. Rossi assumed he was talking to his son. "See Wall-E wants Eve to play but she's too focused on her mission. It's a lot like your mom," he chuckled. "But that's why she keeps me around."

"Oh is it?" Teresa asked coming to stand behind her husband.

Patrick tilted his head back to grin at her. "It is," he confirmed. Teresa leaned down to press a kiss to his mouth. "How did things go with the senior agent?" he asked.

"It's amazing how cooperative people can be when you just lay down the law," she told him.

"That's my girl," Patrick praised. "If you would take Connor for just a moment."

"Sure, no problem," she agreed. Teresa took Connor into her arms while Patrick stood up and stretched.

"This is the FBI," she said nodding to Rossi and the others. "That's David Rossi, Derek Morgan and Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Patrick Jane," he greeted with a smile. His eyes lighted on Spencer for a moment before going to Rossi. "I've read your books. Very interesting material."

"Not sure why someone who works for the police would want to read that," Rossi stated frankly.

Patrick's grin grew wider. "Anything to pass the time while insomnia is eating at you," he said.

Rossi just nodded. This was clearly a game to the man. "My second wife was a big fan of your show," he commented off hand.

Patrick did love it when he got to pit his skills against good opponents. "I used to be a fan of my show too," he agreed. "Wife doesn't like the hair slicked back though."

Teresa pursed her lips. "You looked like a used car salesman," she snapped. Patrick just laughed. "Here you go," she said, handing Connor back to Patrick. Teresa turned to the agents. "If you'll follow us to the family room please," she said. They were led to a large room with a comfortable looking brown leather couch and chairs. Teresa and Patrick settled on the sofa while Rossi and the others took the chairs.

"We know you've been through this before but we need to know what happened," Rossi said. "Just take your time and tell us in your own words."

"Can't you just ask our team what happened?" Teresa wondered.

"We work through behavioral analysis," Reid told them. "We look for different things than other cops and CSIs."

Teresa shrugged. "Alright then," she sighed.

"So how did it start, ma'am?" Morgan asked.

Teresa frowned. "Don't call me ma'am," she stated firmly. "I hate it when people do that."

Patrick studied his wife. "You do hate that," he murmured. "Why is that?"

"Because usually the people that do it are men who think I can't do my job," she told him.

Patrick grinned. "How wrong they are." His wife gave him a smug smile.

"Back to the events," Rossi called. "You were telling us how it started."

"We were upstairs," Teresa supplied. "All three of us on the bed. It's rare for Patrick and me to have a day off together. So we were just being lazy. We were playing around when I heard the knock on the door. I told Patrick to stay upstairs while I went to see who it was."

"And when you saw it was a flower delivery, that didn't give you pause?" Rossi asked her.

Teresa shook her head. "Not at all."

"Then you were expecting it," Reid said.

"Wrong again," Teresa answered with a small smile.

"If you weren't expecting them why weren't you surprised to see them?" Morgan wondered.

Teresa grinned at her husband. "Patrick here likes to surprise me with things randomly," she told them.

Rossi looked to Patrick. "You buy your wife flowers without any reason to it?" he asked, sounding mildly interested.

Teresa answered for him. "You're talking to the man that went out and bought $500 emerald earrings because he said they matched my eyes."

They turned to Patrick who was grinning from ear to ear. "They did, by the way, perfectly," he said. "Just make her eyes sparkle every time she puts them on."

"Yes but they're five hundred dollars," Teresa protested mildly.

Patrick turned her. "But you look so pretty when you wear them. Besides," he added with a shrug, "It's not like I don't' have the money."

Teresa reached over to pull him close for a kiss. "Spend it on Connor," she told him, "He needs it more."

"But I like spoiling you," he smiled. He leaned over to kiss her again.

"Enough of that," Teresa declared. "We're embarrassing the agents."

"No, just agent Reid," Patrick told her. "Agent Morgan is a ladies man and Agent Rossi has been divorced, what four times?"

"Three," Rossi corrected. "You're pretty good."

"I've had lots of practice," Patrick said with a wink.

The two men shared a look. "So when the flower guy got here, what happened then?" Rossi asked.

Teresa shrugged. "I took the flowers assuming Patrick had gotten them because we had the day off together. Then I noticed the card."

"The one that said 'I hope the search goes well'?" Morgan asked.

"With the red smiley face," Teresa agreed.

"She was so surprised she dropped the vase," Patrick provided. "I heard the commotion upstairs with Connor. I kept calling to her but she wouldn't answer. So of course I hurried down to see what the problem was. I found her in the middle of the shattered glass staring at the note card. I asked what was going on but she didn't seem to hear me. Finally she turned to me and said 'he knows'."

"He knows?" Rossi repeated.

Patrick nodded. "She took a few steps towards me and said 'Red John knows we're looking for nannies'."

"Nannies?" Reid said, "Is that what he meant by the search?"

Both parents nodded. "Connor is three months old," Teresa said, "And I'm nearing the end of my vacation time. Someone will have to watch him while we're away."

At that moment Connor began to fuss on his father's lap. "I think it's time for our boy to be fed," Patrick opined.

"Alright, I'll take him," Teresa agreed. She got to her feet and took the baby into the kitchen so he could be fed.

"Who would know you're looking for nannies?" Morgan asked Patrick

Patrick shrugged. "We put an ad in the paper, but that was about it. Of course, I had to take the day off to be able to review nannies with Teresa. So anyone could have gotten into the CBI database and put two and two together."

"Is Red John that good with a computer?" Rossi asked.

"Of course he is," Patrick responded like it was common knowledge. "He hacked into a medical database once to help us with a case. Ask Van Pelt, she'll tell you more about it."

Before the agents could question him further, Teresa came out. "Hey, I'm putting some tea on, what kind do you want?"

Patrick considered it. "I'll take whatever you're having," he told her. Teresa leaned down to kiss him and went back to the kitchen. He turned back to the agents. "I finally got her off coffee," he said with smile.

"That's good," Reid told him. "The statistics show that it's bad for new mothers to have too much caffeine." He was about to go when Morgan shot him a look.

"Oh, please continue," Patrick insisted. "I'm sure it's fascinating."

Reid looked surprised but pleased to be asked such information. He continued talking while Teresa brought the tea. She looked to her husband and realized that he was playing one of his games. She hoped he was just trying to build a little confidence in the kid. Patrick had a way of being able to do that. And god knew that this Reid kid could use a little confidence. Patrick looked over at his wife. "Where's Connor?" he asked.

"I'm going to put him down now," she said. "Feel free to keep talking."

Patrick looked back to the agents. "I suppose I should add something to this conversation," he said.

"What's that?" Rossi asked.

"I've promised my family that they would have vengeance," Patrick stated.

"We can understand that," Morgan told him. "That's why we're not going to leave until we catch this guy and see him behind bars."

Patrick put on his false smile. It was the one that Teresa hated more than anything. "You misunderstand me," he said. "When you catch Red John, he won't live long enough to stand trial."

"Are you sure that's what your family would want?" Rossi asked.

"Oh, Patrick," a voice sighed. They turned to see Teresa in the doorway. "Don't tell me you went there."

"I had to, they deserve to know," Patrick explained. Teresa frowned at him. "Come sit with me," he whispered. She sighed but curled up next to him and began to sip her tea.

"Can I ask you a question?" Teresa wondered.

"Of course," Rossi nodded.

"Why does Red John delight in torturing my husband?"

The agents tried not to wince. This was not a woman that pulled punches. "This is the type of UNSUB, or Unknown Subject, that likes to inject themselves into the investigation. Prior to your husband becoming involved, he probably helped out the police in some way. Once he found your husband taunting him became fun. That eventually got boring, so he stopped. Now he's back."

"And you have no idea why?" she asked.

"Not at the moment," Morgan admitted.

Patrick looked to her. "It must be my irresistible charm," he decided.

"Charm, right," she snorted. "I don't think that was it."

"Say what you want, woman, you know I'm right," Patrick told her. She just kissed his cheek. "Do you think we should show them?" he wondered idly as he played with her hair.

"I guess it can't hurt," she murmured. "Take them upstairs while I put these in the sink. I'll catch up." She turned at the doorway. "And for god sakes don't wake Connor."

"We won't," Patrick promised. "This way, agents."

Patrick led them up to the master bedroom. Across the room from their bed was a collage of pictures. Soon Teresa came to join them and together the Janes pulled the heavy collage off the wall. Under it was the red smiley face from years ago. It had faded with the passage of time, the once bright red color now closer to brown, but it was still starkly visible against the white of the wall.

"You still have it on your wall," Rossi mused.

Teresa looked at her husband. "He won't let me paint over it," she explained.

"It's a reminder," Patrick stated.

Teresa went on as though he hadn't spoken. "So this is our compromise." Patrick flashed his most charming smile. She rolled her eyes and turned to the agents. "If there's nothing else," she said pointedly.

"That's all for now," Rossi told her. "We'll be in touch."

Teresa and Patrick led the way back downstairs. "There is one last thing," Teresa said as they were about to leave.

"Yes ma'am?" Derek asked.

"Tomorrow my husband and I will be coming by the station to see how things are going. You might want to let your supervisor know."

Rossi frowned at her. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked.

"It's a damn good idea and I wasn't asking for permission," Teresa stated. "We'll be there bright and early."

"Yes ma'am," Morgan said. The three agents headed back out to their car.

"How do you think Hotch will react when he hears about the Janes coming in?" Reid asked.

"I think we'll find out once we get back," Rossi replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Hotch and JJ were waiting outside when the three men pulled into CBI. "How did it go with the family?" Hotch asked.

"Patrick Jane never got rid of the bloody smiley face on his wall," Reid said.

"You're kidding," JJ responded.

"He's not," Morgan said, "Jane and his wife actually showed it to us."

"You mean they have to look at that thing as they fall asleep?" she asked, "It's a wonder they don't have nightmares all the time."

"They have this collage thing over it," Morgan corrected. "All sorts of pictures, them, their baby, the team, even a few of the dead wife and kid."

"I guess it's healthier than a bloody smiley face," JJ admitted.

"Did they give you trouble when you tried to question them?" Hotch asked.

Rossi shook his head. "Not after you agreed to make this a joint case," he said. "They were very frank and lighthearted about the whole thing. Both of them seem pretty certain we'll catch this guy."

"Did they say what the search was about?" Hotch wondered.

"They're searching for nannies," Reid supplied. "Mrs. Jane comes back to active duty in a week. Mr. Jane took off tomorrow so they could interview the top five picks."

They made it to the CBI offices where Prentiss was talking with an Asian man about the case. The group swarmed in. "Agents Rossi, Morgan and Reid this is Agent Kimball Cho. He's the head of the unit while Agent Jane is on maternity leave," Hotch said.

"Nice to meet you," Cho said. "The woman over there is Agent Van Pelt and there's also Wayne Rigsby. He's in the men's room."

"Nice to meet you," Rossi murmured.

"Dave, if you'll bring Prentiss up to speed on the case. Morgan, did the Janes tell anyone that they were going to spend tomorrow looking at nannies?"

Morgan shook his head. "The most they did was put an ad in the paper. This guy would have had to been really looking for it."

"Although Patrick did say that Red John was a capable hacker so he could have gotten into CBI's files and found out that way," Reid pointed out.

"How do they know this?" Hotch asked.

"He did it before," Cho said. "Van Pelt was looking through a medical database to get a lead on an associate of Red John's. When we couldn't do it alone he hacked in and pointed us in the right direction. Even held a brief conversation with Jane."

Hotch nodded. "Morgan, go talk to Van Pelt and then have Garcia run through the information. We might be able to catch a lead from it. Reid, look over the victims and see if you can get a geographical profile from them."

"One more thing," Morgan called.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Jane said she and her husband would be stopping by tomorrow to get updates on the case."

JJ looked at him. "Do they really think that it's a good idea?" she asked.

Reid nodded. "She was quite forceful about it," he said.

Hotch frowned. "Define forceful."

Morgan snorted. "She said that it was a damn good idea and she wasn't looking for approval."

"And the husband went along with that?" JJ asked.

"He didn't object," Morgan told her.

"Guess we know who wears the pants in that relationship," she sighed.

"Don't be so sure," Cho commented from his desk. All the agents looked at him. "Patrick and the boss have a give and take relationship. Both like to think they're in charge until the other one over rules them. Besides Jane wouldn't complain about getting another shot at Red John. He has plans for this guy."

"Plans?" Hotch demanded.

"He told us that when we found Red John he wouldn't live long enough to stand trial," Reid said.

"Sounds like Jane," Cho agreed.

"The killer isn't the only obsessed one on this case, Hotch," Morgan opined, "That man was dead serious about killing Red John."

Hotch sighed. "We'll deal with this later. Morgan, go discuss with Agent Van Pelt. Everyone else, let's go to the conference room and see what we can put together with the evidence we have."

Cho watched them leave before returning to his work. Rigsby showed up moments later followed by Van Pelt. "What's going on?" Rigsby asked.

"Jane and the boss are coming by tomorrow," Cho said.

"They are?" Van Pelt repeated. "Why?"

"They want updates on the case," Cho shrugged.

"I'd rather have the boss here barking orders than this group from Quantico," Rigsby opined. "At least she knows the case."

"That's true," Van Pelt agreed. "How did they take it when they learned of Jane's obsession with Red John?"

"Their leader didn't seem too happy," Cho said. "But apparently they'll deal with it when they come to it."

Van Pelt sighed. "I can't wait until tomorrow," she whispered.

Inside the conference room Morgan was joining his team mates to see if they had anything worthwhile on Red John. "I called Garcia," he told them, "She's still working the flower shop but she's going to set up a program to run through CBI and see if anyone planted some sort of bug in the system."

"Alright," Hotch said, "What do we know?"

"We know that Red John has a specific MO as well as victim type," Reid said, "Judging by the amount of care taken with each victim he probably stalks them for a while before the attack."

"He'd need a vehicle that wouldn't be noticed day after day," Morgan said, "Some sort of company car most likely."

"Garcia is going to need more than that to be able to get us a suspect list," Hotch sighed. "What else do we know?"

"Well, stalking behavior would explain this note," Prentiss said pulling a paper from her file.

"What note?" Rossi asked.

"Uh, it was a note that was slipped to Mr. Jane when they were on a case," she said reading off the details. "It says…quite a bit actually but the one part says quote 'I have 12 wives now and will soon begin courting number 13'. The courting he refers to is probably his stalking behavior."

"Can I see that note?" Reid asked. Prentiss handed it to him. "This is interesting," he murmured.

"What is?" Morgan wondered.

"His tone in this letter is very upbeat and bright in the beginning. He greets Jane as 'old friend' and says that he hopes Jane is 'keeping well'. Red John seems to be just as obsessed with Jane as he is with killing. He mocks Jane but only for two lines. Then he wishes him all the best."

"Is it possible that they met before starting down their particular paths?" JJ guessed.

"It's possible but not likely," Hotch told her. "Red John didn't seek Jane out until Jane decided to taunt him on TV. If he hadn't done that it's likely their paths would have never crossed." He looked at Reid. "You're right though, it is interesting." He thought for a moment. "When we're done here, Prentiss I want you to look through all of the communication between Jane and Red John. See if there's a pattern or something else we can use to bring him out."

"I will get right on that," Emily promised.

"Let's get back to the profile," Rossi said. "We know he's very specific, he's also a sexual sadist and very methodical. He cleans up after himself. He's a showman who wants his work to be seen."

"His contact with Jane is his way of injecting himself in the investigation," Hotch theorized. "It's his need for control."

"That could be why he's sprung back up again," Morgan commented. "When he killed Jane's first wife and child, Jane's obsession was seeing Red John dead. By taunting Jane with the fact that he is still out there Red John retains control over him."

"But then that game gets boring," Rossi said as he saw the pattern, "So he stops. But he doesn't stop keeping tabs on everything. Somehow he learns that Jane is putting his life back together. He's getting remarried, having another child. The control Red John once had is slipping. So he comes back to taunt them again. He wants that control back."

"You know if we run a press conference with the Janes, we could show him how little control he has," JJ commented. "It could anger him enough to make a mistake."

"It's a possibility," Hotch agreed, "But I want to hold off on that. Something tells me the family wouldn't like it too much. Still, it can't hurt to ask them tomorrow when they come by."

"Yes sir," JJ sighed.

"Alright. Prentiss, work on that letter. Reid, see if you can get a geographical profile. JJ, check in with Garcia and see if she found anything as well as Agent Jane's team. Morgan, Rossi, let's go present the profile."


	6. Chapter 6

True to their word, Patrick and Teresa pulled into the CBI parking lot at 2 o'clock the next day. Patrick was smiling while listening to Teresa's comments with one ear. "You aren't even paying attention to me are you?" she accused.

Patrick parked his Citroen DS and looked at her. "I heard every word you're saying," he told her. "But I happen to love this car."

"I'm not saying it's a bad car," she said. "I'm saying it's very small."

"And?"

"And if you want more than one child we need a bigger car." Teresa reached around her seat to unbuckle Connor from his car seat and pick him up. "Especially if this one grows to be as big as his daddy." She smiled at him.

Patrick gave her a soft genuine smile. "We'll talk about it later," he said softly. He reached over to run a hand through her curls. "Now, we need to get inside." They got out and hurried inside.

Teresa strode into the office with determination written in every inch of her body. Grace swore that no other woman could look as imposing when holding a baby. "Hey boss!" she greeted cheerfully. "Do you need me to take Connor?"

"Hey Van Pelt, if you would just hold him for a moment," she said.

Grace took the little boy. "He's gotten so big," she commented with a smile.

"Yeah, he just won't stop growing," Teresa agreed as she stretched.

"I can't wait to start a family of my own," Van Pelt mused. "What's it like with a new baby around?"

Teresa smiled. "It's just like having another Patrick." Van Pelt raised an eyebrow at her. "It's true," she swore, "Both wander off with out telling me, both demand constant attention and neither one will tell me what's going on in their head." Grace gave her a smile.

She held out her hands to take Connor back. As she settled the baby on her hip Van Pelt could almost see the change over into boss mode. And not the happy one either. "Alright people," she called, "What have we got?"

Before anyone could answer her, Morgan came striding up to her. "Excuse me," he said, "But why are you here?"

Teresa turned to him with a dismissive look. "Because there is a serial killer after my little boy," she stated. "I'm not going to just sit around and hope you find him. If you have a problem with that, then deal."

"You really shouldn't be here," Morgan insisted.

"I've taken down guys your size before," she informed him. "I intend to find out what is going on with this investigation and I will not be leaving until I do. Now I have no intentions of interfering in any way. I just want to know what is being done to protect my little boy."

"Ma'am, please," Morgan started.

"What did I say about the ma'am?" Teresa demanded. "I will not repeat myself anymore. If you have nothing further to add to this conversation then please go find something useful to do." Morgan sighed. There was no reasoning with her. Teresa looked back at her team. "I believe I asked a question," she told them.

"Um, there were no prints on the card from the flower shop," Grace said.

"And?" Teresa prompted.

"And they were paid for online," Cho added.

"So basically what you're telling me is we have nothing?" she snapped.

"Is there something wrong here?" a voice called. They turned to see Hotch moving swiftly towards them.

Teresa's eyes narrowed at the tall imposing man standing in front her. No doubt he thought the glower was going to make her back down. "Yeah, this agent here won't let find out what's going on with the investigation," Teresa stated pointing at Morgan, "Now who are you?"

"I'm Agent Hotchner, I'm in charge here," he stated. He looked the tiny woman. "Who are you?"

"I'm Teresa Jane, we spoke on the phone," she said in a business like tone. "I want to know what's being done to protect my family."

"Miss, you really shouldn't be here," Hotch said gently, "You would be with your husband."

"Okay first off, I'm a Mrs. I am quite happily married thank you," she started, "And secondly my husband is here with me." She looked around her. "Oh, damn," she cursed. "Patrick!"

JJ and Prentiss were watching the scene unfold from the break room across the hall. Prentiss whistled as she watched the petite woman walk in. "I think the boss is here," she called to JJ.

The blonde hurried over to join her friend. "God she's small," JJ commented. "I was expecting someone taller."

"I know," Prentiss agreed, "You're probably the closest one in height and you have at least two inches on her without heels."

"The way Hotch told it I thought she'd be like six one," JJ said, "She certainly has the attitude of someone twice her size."

The girls chuckled. They watched Morgan attempting to talk sense in to the woman. "She's taken down people Morgan's size?" JJ asked. "I can actually believe that."

"It's her personality," whispered a voice behind them. "It makes her seem larger than life." They looked around to see a man with blond curls, blue eyes and a bright smile drinking tea. He was dressed in a black suit and vest with a white shirt and brown loafers. "She's actually five four with out heels," he told them.

Prentiss looked back at Teresa. "Well she certainly doesn't seem like it," she murmured. They watched as Hotch came up and Teresa shot him down as well.

"She clearly wears the pants in that marriage," JJ commented. "Her husband has got to be henpecked."

"Oh I hear they clash pretty badly," the man agreed. "They have quite the love hate relationship. That's why it took them so long to get together. They were both too stubborn to admit the attraction."

"Not sure they should have," Prentiss said. "Somehow I can not see that being a happy marriage."

"Well it does take all kinds," the man told them. "But I don't believe I caught your names."

"I'm JJ."

"And I'm Emily Prentiss. Call me Prentiss, everyone does."

"Who are you?" JJ asked.

Teresa called out for her husband. "I'm Patrick Jane," he told them brightly, "I'm the henpecked husband. And our marriage is actually quite happy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd best get out before Teresa gets upset." He chuckled to himself as the color drained from their faces.

"Patrick," Teresa called again.

"I'm right here," he soothed as he hurried over. "I was talking to Agents JJ and Prentiss. Apparently I am quite the henpecked husband." He laughed as he took Connor from his mother.

"Ha," Teresa scoffed, "I wish. If I could control you that well I would be one happy woman." She looked back at her team. "That last question wasn't rhetorical by the way," she told them. "I want some answers."

Patrick tried to hide his smile as they began to furiously type on their computers. "I'm Patrick Jane," he greeted, "You must be Agent Hotchner."

"I am," Hotch agreed. "You two really don't need to be here."

"But we want to be," Patrick said. "After all we're the ones this investigation is all about. Don't worry; we have no intention of stepping on any toes. Just give us an update and we'll be out of your hair."

Before Hotch could answer Rigsby came in. "Hey there," he said brightly. "Brought the little guy I see." He moved to shake Connor's hand.

Patrick turned Connor away from him. "His name is Connor," he started, "And I don't particularly trust you near my son."

"Aw why not?" he asked looking hurt.

Teresa leaned around her husband to glare at him. "Because the last time you were near him we let you hold him and you nearly dropped him. He's three months old, Rigsby you could have done serious damage, even killed him. Thank god Van Pelt was there."

"I didn't drop him, he jumped," Wayne defended.

"Three month old babies don't jump," Teresa snapped. "Now get back to work so we can find the person that's hunting him." Rigsby hurried off, effectively cowed. The Janes turned back the FBI agents. "Where were we?"

"We currently have a working profile and we've presented it to the police. They're currently out looking for him."

"What's going on with the flowers?" Teresa demanded.

"The tech analyst in Quantico is looking through it," Cho called.

"Tech analyst?" Patrick asked, "How intriguing."

"Don't start," Teresa whispered.

"Penelope Garcia is going through everything she can," Hotch told them. "While you're here we do need to discuss a few things with you in private."

"We can talk in my office," Teresa decided.

"Alright then. Prentiss, JJ with me," Hotch called.

"The rest of you keep working," Teresa commanded, "And someone find out what that tech has dug up." She walked off with out expecting an answer. The agents exchanged looks but quickly followed her in. Patrick grinned at the CBI team before hurrying to catch up. "Close the door," Teresa said once they had filed in.

Patrick handed Connor off to her to close and lock the door. Then he joined his wife on the other side of the desk. "So what was so important that the other agents couldn't know?' he asked.

"We've been going through the communication between you and Red John," Prentiss said. "There's actually a pattern to it."

"Really?" Patrick wondered. They had mildly sparked his interest, he had to admit. "What sort of pattern?"

"UNSUBs like this enjoy injecting themselves into the investigation," Hotch said. "It's their way of controlling the situation. That was how the communication started."

"Wait UNSUB?" Teresa repeated.

"Unknown Subject," JJ replied, "It's what we refer to these people as."

"Interesting," Patrick murmured. "Please continue."

"That's how they started out but then it becomes clear that he's no longer interested in the investigation," Prentiss said. "His interest is now in controlling you. And it seemed to work for a while."

"But eventually that game got boring to him," Hotch said picking up the thread. "So he dropped off for a while. Some how he managed to keep tabs on you and he learned you were putting your life back together. When he realized this his taunting began again."

"Excuse me are you saying this is my husband's fault?" Teresa demanded.

"Not at all ma'am," JJ placated, "We would never do such a thing. We're merely saying that Red John has a very intense interest in your husband."

"Next person to call me ma'am gets slapped," Teresa started. "Now what does all this have to do with your investigation."

"We want you to have a press conference," JJ said.

"A press conference?" Teresa repeated. "Why the hell would we do that?"

"We believe that if you go out there and show him how little he's affected you then he'll get angry and make a mistake."

"I just want to get a few things straight," Patrick said.

"Of course," JJ agreed.

Teresa saw the storm coming and knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. "Basically what you want me to do is get up and taunt a serial killer," he said. Teresa nearly winced at the hard edge in his voice.

"If you'd let me explain," JJ said.

"Let me explain," Patrick snapped. "Taunting him is the thing that cost me my first family. I will not put my wife and son in danger that way a second time. And another thing –"

"Jane!" Teresa cut. He turned to her. "Don't." She could see that Patrick was trying to rein in his temper. "Why don't you take Connor outside to see the team," she asked quietly.

Patrick took Connor from her and swept out the door without a word. "I apologize," she said quietly. "His temper doesn't often get the best of him but it does its pretty bad."

"It's perfectly fine," JJ assured her, "We've seen these things before."

"Well I have to agree with my husband. We will not be doing any sort of press conference. You'll just have to find another way to catch him."

"We will," Hotch told her.

"Good. Now I had better get back out there before Patrick gets himself into trouble."

"He's only been out there for about 10 seconds," Prentiss reminded her.

"That's enough time for Patrick to get into trouble," Teresa assured her. "Trust me if you knew him you would understand." She led the way back out to the offices where Patrick was talking quietly with Grace who was holding Connor. She touched his arm. "Better?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he assured her, "I didn't mean to lose my temper like that. I'll apologize before we leave."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. Patrick leaned over to kiss her temple.

"Now then," he said brightly, "You said you have an analyst in Quantico that is working leads correct?"

"That's correct," Hotch agreed. He was wary of the maniac gleam in Jane's eyes.

"Would it be okay to call her?" he asked innocently.

"I don't see why not," Hotch said. "Morgan." Morgan went to grab his phone but came up empty. Hotch looked at him expectantly.

"It was here a second ago I swear," Morgan said.

"Oh, sorry about that," Jane grinned. They looked over to see him holding Morgan's phone and looking through the numbers.

"How did you get that?" Teresa sighed.

"I picked his pocket," her husband said in an unconcerned tone.

"You picked his pocket?" she repeated. "Why in hell did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to find the technical analyst and call her," he replied.

"If you were going to do it anyway why bother asking?" Prentiss wondered.

Patrick looked at her with wide, slightly confused eyes. "Because it would have been rude to do other wise," he told her. He turned his attention back to the phone as he scrolled through numbers. His eyes lit up. "Ah, here we are. Garcia." He studied the picture that went with the number. "Lovely picture," he commented. He showed it to Rigsby. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"It is nice," he said.

"Don't engage with him," Teresa snapped.

Patrick grinned and held a finger to his lips. "It's ringing," he whispered.

"Put it on speaker phone," she instructed.

He did as she asked and they could all hear it ringing. Then a voice came over the phone. "Tall dark and handsome, I have been waiting all day for your call. Talk naughty to me."

The BAU looked mortified, the CBI agents were shocked and Patrick was fighting his laughter. "I would," he told the mysterious speaker, "But I don't think my wife would appreciate it. I can give you my private number if you'd like to talk later." Teresa smacked him on the arm. He continued grinning.

"Um, who is this?" the now terrified analyst asked.

"This is Patrick Jane," he said brightly, "Can I assume I'm speaking to the lovely Penelope Garcia?"

"Yes sir that would be correct and I am so sorry about what I said. I was expecting someone else on the phone."

"Clearly," Patrick agreed, "No matter though, it's not important. And you've no reason to be sorry. It's rather nice to hear someone being cheery in his depressing atmosphere."

"Oh for god's sakes," Teresa sighed. "Look Miss Garcia can you please just tell us if you found anything from the flower shop?"

"Uh, no ma'am I have not yet, my apologies. This Red John person is very handy with a computer. Fret not, however I am handier. I will find him, you may rest assured."

"Thank you," Teresa said, "It's good to hear that."

"Of course. I am also running through the locations of this guy's victims so if you'll excuse me I think I have some information for Reid."

"Alright, thank you Garcia," Hotch said, "Call us if you get anything."

"I will indeed."

"Lovely to speak with you," Patrick said.

"Hang up," Teresa snapped. Patrick chuckled but did as he was told. "Give the phone to Morgan, we need to head home."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. Teresa smacked his arm.

"Can't say I didn't warn you," she told him. She took Connor from Grace. "I'll be waiting in the car."

"As you wish," he called after her. He looked over at JJ. "I apologize for my outburst earlier," he said. "I was out of line and I was rude. I am truly sorry."

JJ was slightly thrown by the sincerity in the glacier blue eyes that were currently staring directly into her own. "Its, um, it's alright," she assured him. "Nothing to worry about."

Because of how she was standing she missed Grace flat out grinning behind her back. Patrick caught it however and had to fight his own grin. He promised Teresa he would apologize and he did. What was the harm if he had a little fun while he did it? "Well, I'm glad you feel that way," he told her, "I'd feel awful if you were holding a grudge."

"Not at all," JJ said.

Patrick grinned. "Wonderful. I'd better hurry. Teris hates to be kept waiting." Without so much as a look back he swept out of the office. Teresa was of course sitting in the car waiting for him. "Before you ask I did apologize," he told her.

"Thank god for small favors," she sighed. "Now let's get home, Connor needs changed and put to bed."


	7. Chapter 7

Patrick made sure to obey the speed limit as they drove back, no sense in getting Teris all upset for no reason. He decided to let the radio on during the drive to give them both time to wind down after all that insanity. Finally they were back at the house. "I meant to ask you something," he said as they got out.

Teresa moved to get Connor from the back. "What was it?" she asked.

Patrick took his son from her arms with a smile. "That comment you made about controlling me and how it would make you happy."

"That's not a question," she pointed out.

"You aren't happy?" he asked. Teresa paused in the front hall to look at him. He didn't say it with concern the way most men would have. He said it the same way he had once asked if she really didn't trust him. As if this was a revelation that had never occurred to him before and needed to be puzzled out.

"I'm happy," she shrugged. "But I won't deny that being able to better keep you in line would significantly lower my stress level and thus improve my happiness."

Patrick grinned as he followed her up the stairs. He had to concede that he felt a slight bit of worry that wasn't making his wife happy. Now he knew she was just teasing, as they so often did together. "Oh but then life would be so boring," he said cheerfully. "Admit it you enjoy the things I do." He stood on the landing waiting for her response.

Teresa turned him with that half smile that he just loved from her. "I'll admit I find most of the things you do amusing," she allowed, "But when I have to tell you for the one millionth time not to use hypnotism, then I get upset."

"Come on, you know you love me," he wheedled.

"I wouldn't still be married to you otherwise."

"Come here," he said with a jerk of his head. Teresa raised an eyebrow at him. "Come here," he repeated. "I'm holding a baby; there isn't much that I can do to you."

Teresa had to concede the point. "What is it?" she asked.

"Just this." Patrick leaned down to capture her lips in a slow soft kiss. "I love you," he whispered when they broke apart.

Teresa rested her forehead against his. "I love you too," she said. "Now hand me Connor so I can change him."

"I'll change him," Patrick objected gently, "You go lay down. I'll be there in a moment."

"As you wish," Teresa shrugged. She went off in one direction while Patrick took Connor in the other. She frowned as she got to the bed room. The collage was sitting back on their bed. "Damn it Patrick I told you to put that back up," she whispered. Patrick had wanted to look at the face again before they left and Teresa couldn't talk him out of it. She ran her hand over the photos for a minute. "You are so lucky I'm too tired to deal with you," she sighed.

She set the heavy framed piece beside the bed. She would need Patrick's help to put it back in its place. Next was getting changed before slipping into bed. She began to unbutton her shirt as she mulled around the events of the day. She glanced over at the wall where the bloody smiley face seemed to be imprinted. And she stopped her actions.

The smiley face was no longer the only thing on the wall. Fresh words had been added under the old symbol. There were just two words written but they blazed as though written with neon lights. _Never Forget_, they said.

Teresa backed slowly out of the room then ran to find Patrick. "Patrick!" she yelled, "Patrick!"

She found him in Connor's room clutching the little boy tight. He was staring very intently at the crib. She looked around him to see a doll lying in the crib, slashed open with stuffing spilling out. There was a folded piece of paper next to it. "Oh god," she whispered, placing a hand on Patrick's shoulder.

He turned and looked at her. "Teresa," he whispered. Then he blinked and came out of his trance. "Come on," he said grabbing her arm, "We have to go." He pulled her out of the room and hurried her down the stairs in front of him.

"We need to call someone," Teresa said as they moved.

"We'll call them from the car," Patrick told her, "Let's move."

"Yes, sir," Teresa said. They fled to the car and Teresa strapped Connor into the back. "Do you want me to drive?" she asked.

"We both know I drive faster," he said with a weak smile. Teresa nodded and motioned for him to drive. They would only feel safe once they were back at CBI.

Grace nervously paced the floor. "Where are they?" she wondered.

Reid looked at her. "Are they supposed to be here by now?" he asked.

"Yeah," Rigsby told him. "They only live like 20 minutes away. They should be here."

Van Pelt looked at him. "Do you think something happened to them?"

"I doubt that," Rossi told her in a soothing tone, "I'm sure there's just traffic or something."

"Or something," a voice told them. They saw much shaken Teresa and Patrick hurrying into the offices. Teresa was holding Connor as close as she could. Patrick had his hand on her shoulder. He was carrying a diaper bag on his shoulder and a baby carrier in his other hand.

Grace ran to hug them both. "It's been an hour," she said, "Did something happen to you guys?"

"No we're fine," Teresa told her. "We just had to make some stops on the way."

"Stops?" Rigsby asked.

"We left as soon as we saw the notes," Patrick said. "We had to stop to get diapers, formula, and all those things."

"Cho went with Morgan and Reid to your house," Grace told them. "Do you want us to call him and have him pick up some stuff?"

"No, no, it's fine," Teresa said. She turned to Patrick. "We are burning that crib," she stated.

"I was thinking the same thing," he agreed.

Before the conversation could go on Connor began to fuss. "Much as I'm enjoying the love fest, Connor needs changed," Teresa sighed. "I'll be in the bathroom."

"Prentiss go with her," Hotch ordered.

"I can go to the bathroom on my own," she protested.

"If the UNSUB can get you at your house it's a good bet he can get you here," Prentiss said, "We just want to keep an eye on you."

"Teresa," Patrick called, "Please. Do as they say."

"Fine," she muttered. Patrick handed her the diaper bag. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and hurried to the bathroom with Prentiss on her heels. Patrick pushed through the small crowd that had gathered. He sat down on his couch and ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Rossi pressed.

"As I said we left as soon as we saw the notes," Patrick told him, "Nothing happened to us." He ran his hand through his hair again. "Thank god we brought Connor along," he whispered.

"Mr. Jane is there anything you need?" Hotch asked.

Patrick looked at him through weary blue eyes. "I need Red John out of my life," he said quietly.

"That's why we're here," JJ assured him.

Patrick nodded. "Right now I just need to clear my head," he told them. With that he toed off his shoes and stretched out on the couch. The crowd went back to their appointed tasks. Patrick closed his eyes and tried not to see the doll that had been lying in his son's crib.

Teresa bit her lip hard. She wasn't going to cry in front of anyone especially some FBI agent she didn't know. Prentiss had followed her right into the bathroom to keep a close eye while Teresa changed her son. "Can you hand me the baby powder," she asked quietly.

"Yeah here," Prentiss said. "I'm –I'm really sorry. And I promise you we'll catch this guy."

"Do you have kids?" Teresa asked.

"I don't yet," Prentiss admitted. "I'm not sure what I would do if I was in your shoes."

Teresa shook her head. "I deal with psychos and murders every day," she said. "I've made it my life to help put them away. I never thought that one day one would try to threaten my family."

"Mrs. Jane," Prentiss started.

"Teresa," she corrected. "If we're going to be working together it's easier to use first names. Plus that way Patrick and I don't get confused."

"Teresa then," Prentiss agreed, "And you can call me Prentiss. Or Emily if you prefer. Anyway, Teresa can I ask a personal question?"

"Don't you have to?"

"Not this one," Emily told her.

"You can ask anything you need to," Teresa said.

"The house that you live in, Patrick owned it before he met you right?"

Teresa nodded with a smile. "You want to know why I would move into a house where my husband's late wife was murdered," she surmised.

"I don't mean to pry," Prentiss told her.

"It's alright; I get it all the time," Teresa assured her, "I did it because Patrick had a life before me. And I don't want him to think that he needs to forget that life to be with me. I want to know about his first wife and daughter and about that part of his life. It's a part of him. It made him who he is, the man I fell in love with." She paused with a smile. "Also have you seen today's housing market? Better to live in a place that's already paid off."

Emily chuckled at that last line. "I suppose I can't argue that point."

Teresa gave her a soft smile and picked Connor up. She led the way out of the bathroom and back to the office. She set Connor in his carrier, covering him with a blanket. Then she tapped Patrick on the leg before heading into her office. Patrick got up and padded softly after her.

Once inside he locked the door, dropped the blinds on the door and held out his arms. Teresa settled herself in them and buried her face into his shoulder. She let out all the tears that she had been holding inside all day.

Patrick held her as tight as he could and let her cry. He knew that she was having the worst time of it, no matter what people thought. He at least could grieve in public; he didn't have to hide his emotions. Teresa however was the boss. Out there she had to be in control and completely devoid of emotion. In here though, she could just be a wife and mother who was scared for her family. "Do you feel better?" he asked as the sobs began to dry up.

"A little bit," she told him. She looked up into his eyes. "I'm scared," she admitted. Patrick knew just how hard of an admission that was.

"I am too," he told her.

Teresa gave him a wet smile. "I didn't think the mighty Patrick Jane was afraid of anything," she teased weakly.

"Just one thing," he said, "The Mighty Agent Lisbon."

"Agent Jane now," she corrected.

"And thank god for that," he murmured as she rested her head against his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly. "They'll catch him," he stated.

"We'll catch him," she said not moving her head.

"We'll catch him," he agreed. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Neither one speaking because there was no need. They just stood and let each other know that they were there.

All of the sudden Patrick placed his hands on Teresa's waist and lifted her up. She let out a surprised squeak and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Legs too," he whispered. Teresa looked down at him with a bemused smile. Patrick looked up at her through his lashes. Without a word she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. He settled her more comfortably then walked the short distance to the desk. He set her down and began to kiss her hard.

Teresa responded at first before pulling away. "I love you," she whispered, "I adore you. But I won't make out with you in my office like a pair of teenagers."

Patrick rested his forehead against hers. "Why not?" he wondered rubbing noses with her. "I think it's kind of sexy." He leaned up to kiss her again. "We're in the office, everyone else is right outside." His smile became teasing. "Tell me that isn't hot."

Teresa giggled. "That's not hot," she said with a bright smile.

"Liar," Patrick stated. He leaned in to kiss her again.

Teresa pulled back and her face became serious. She reached up and began to card her fingers through his hair. "I know what're doing," she said.

Patrick nuzzled her hand. "What?" he asked.

"You're trying to make me feel better," she sighed. She kept running her fingers through the curls. "And I'll admit its working." Patrick grinned at her. She gave him a soft smile. "But there is one other thing. How are you feeling?"

"I'm worried," he admitted, "And I'm scared. I had a break down the first time I lost my family to Red John. I don't think even Sophie Miller could pull me out if I lost you and Connor." He turned to kiss her palm. "I love you both so much."

"You love me?"

"I wouldn't have married you otherwise," Patrick told her.

Teresa gave him her own teasing smile. "And here I thought you married me just so you could get dental."

Patrick threw back his head and laughed. "That's exactly why I did it," he confirmed, "You've found me out."

Teresa leaned down to kiss him again. "We do need to talk," she said quietly.

"About what?"

"Staying out of this hasn't stopped Red John."

"I know that," he said.

"Maybe," Teresa sighed, "Maybe this press conference is a good idea."

Patrick frowned. "Do you really want to do it?" he asked.

"We make decisions about this family together," Teresa told him. "We have to agree before we go through with any of this."

"Safe houses aren't as safe as they say," Patrick said.

Teresa smiled. "I think I know a way around that."

Outside the office, the CBI agents were diligently working through leads in order to help their friends. The BAU was mostly doing the same thing except for Morgan and Reid who were getting coffee and waiting for the couple to come out of Teresa's office.

"How long do you think before they come out?" Morgan wondered.

"I don't know but they've been in there a long time," Reid commented. "I wonder what they're doing."

As if that was their cue the two appeared from inside Teresa's office. Instead of going straight to the 'I'm the boss, you're the consultant' routine they first checked on their son. Then Patrick slipped his arm around Teresa's shoulders as they headed toward the agents. "That press liaison of yours," Patrick said, "Her name is JJ, right?"

"Yeah why?" Morgan asked.

"Where is she? We want to talk to her," Teresa told them.

"Um, she's with Hotch going over what she needs to say to the press," Reid said.

"And where would they be doing that?" Patrick asked.

"Conference room," Morgan pointed.

Patrick grinned at them. "Perfect," he said, "Thank you very much." With twin smiles they walked off to the conference room.

"That was a little weird," Morgan commented.

"That's Patrick Jane," Cho said.

Teresa smiled as they approached the conference room. "You like throwing people off guard, don't you?" she asked.

"It tends to help you solve cases," he said, "And thus improve your happiness level." Teresa laughed as she recalled their previous conversation. Maybe he didn't work on these things in the conventional way but really that's why she loved him.

They knocked on the door politely before receiving the come in command. They entered to see Hotch and JJ talking with each other. Patrick noted that the agents looked surprised to see them. He filed his observations away to entertain Teresa with later. She would enjoy him dissecting other people's lives after so long of having theirs dissecting. He pressed a kiss to her head.

Teresa gave him a smile before turning to the two. "This press conference you were talking about is the offer still open?"

"Yes," JJ said warily.

"We're going to do it," Teresa stated.

"May I ask why the sudden change of mind?" Hotch wondered

"If you don't think we should, we can leave," Patrick said, "Come on Teris." He turned to leave grabbing Teresa's arm. She laughed and pulled him back in.

"Be nice," she whispered to him. Patrick kissed her in answer. She gave him a light smack on his leg in reprimand. But she was smiling as she did it. Patrick smiled back at her. "We want to get Red John," Teresa said turning back to the agents, "And what we've been doing hasn't worked so we're willing to try anything."

"Well if you're ready, I can have this up and running in under an hour," JJ told them.

"That would be wonderful," Patrick said with his blinding smile. He felt Teresa smack his leg again. "I only have eyes for you," he assured her in a whisper.

Teresa smiled at him then returned her attention to JJ and Hotch. "There are just a few things that we need," she said. "It's not about the press conference really but about afterwards."

"Sit down," Hotch gestured, "We'll be happy to discuss anything you'd like."

"That's very kind of you," Patrick said. He pulled out Teresa's chair for her before sitting himself. "Let's start with this safe house business."


	8. Chapter 8

Teresa was glad for her husband's hand gently pressing against the small of her back. It helped to keep her grounded as they walked back into CBI. She really didn't like putting her family out there like this but they were running out of options. The press conference they had just done made her feel like she needed to take a shower. Make that a dozen showers, actually. Patrick had done all of the talking but she still had to stand there beside him while he did it. She couldn't wait until all of this was over.

Patrick leaned close to her ear. "I wish we were home too," he whispered.

Teresa gave him a grateful smile. "Soon," she said hopefully.

"Soon," he agreed. His eyes flicked over the offices. He noted Hightower coming out of her own office and leaned down to whisper to his wife again. "Incoming," he told her.

"I see it," Teresa agreed.

"You take care of Connor, I'll get the ball rolling," he said. Teresa nodded and headed for Connor's carrier while Patrick took up his stance at the door.

"How long before you two can be ready?" Hightower asked without preamble.

Patrick gave her a look of confused innocence. "Ready?" he repeated, "Ready for what?"

"In case you didn't notice Jane, there's a serial killer after you and your wife," Hightower said with thin patience, "And you just gave a press conference saying that you won't be intimidated. We need to get the three of you to a safe house."

Patrick's eyes widened as though he was just starting to understand. "Oh, ready for that," he said rocking on his heels. "We won't be going to a safe house."

"What?"

"We won't be going," Patrick repeated.

"And where exactly do you plan to stay? Your home is a crime scene, remember?"

"I know," Patrick agreed, "But we aren't going home either."

"Then would you like to tell me where exactly you are going to stay?"

"Here," he said.

"Here?" Hightower repeated, "As in here in the office?"

Patrick smiled. "Exactly Madeline," he nodded. "You're getting it."

"You aren't staying here," Hightower objected.

"Why not?"

"Because you need to be somewhere that Red John can't get to you," she stated.

Patrick looked around and leaned closer to Hightower. "I'll be honest, I was leery about the idea too but the wife insists we stay here. And I live to make her happy."

Hightower's expression turned suspicious. "Because when she's unhappy, you're unhappy," she said recalling a conversation they'd once had.

"I have to tell you, after two years of sleeping in a bed; I've gotten very used to it. I honestly don't think I could go back to sleeping on the couch. I mean, don't get me wrong, the couch is comfortable but the bed is down and Teresa is there…" Patrick gestured as he trailed off to make his point.

"And the wife will send you to the couch if you agree to a safe house," Hightower surmised. Patrick smiled at her. "I still don't see why you should stay here."

Teresa came to stand beside her husband. "It's like Minielli said when someone tried to kill Patrick," she commented, "You can protect us better here and at less expense. Not only is this place crawling with cops we've got the FBI here too. There's no safer place in California right now."

"Virgil Minelli is no longer in charge of the CBI," Hightower reminded them.

"Oh we know that," Patrick assured her. "But he did have a very good point."

"Where will you sleep?" Hightower asked.

"The couch," Patrick said as though it were obvious.

"What about supplies?"

"We stopped at Rite-Aid before we came," Teresa told him, "We have everything Connor might need."

"And supplies for you?"

Patrick grinned. "There's food over in the break room and water too. I've been keeping a spare suit here since I stared work. What about you babe? Change of clothes somewhere?"

"In my office," Teresa confirmed.

"See?" Patrick grinned, "We have everything we need."

"I can't believe this," Hightower sighed. "I expect this from you Jane but Teresa I thought you knew better."

Patrick looked at him. "Don't you want to keep your top agent safe?" he asked.

"Of course," Hightower agreed, "That means going to a safe house"

Teresa tried to reel in her need to frown. Instead she looped an arm around her husband's waist. "Safe houses aren't nearly as safe as they say," she pointed out.

"She does have a point," Patrick agreed. He leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially to Hightower. "You really shouldn't argue," he said "She's stubborn as hell."

"You are going to a safe house and that is an order," Hightower stated.

The Janes looked at each other. As one they both unclipped their badges and dropped them on the floor. "We quit," they said in unison. They turned and started walking back in to the office. Patrick raised the arm that wasn't around Teresa's shoulders and held up three fingers where Hightower couldn't see them. After a moment he dropped one, then another and finally the last one.

As soon as his fist was closed Hightower called out to them. "Fine!" They turned back to him. "You two can stay here," she said grabbing their badges. "But it's on your own heads if anything happens."

Teresa went to get their badges. "Thank you ma'am," she said in a calm voice. She took the badges from the outstretched hand and turned back to her husband with a bright smile. Patrick took his badge from his wife and watched Hightower walk away.

"And we're in the clear," he told her once their boss was out of ear shot. He looked back to his wife with a grin. "You were good," he told her.

"Really?" she asked, "I was worried I over did it a little."

Patrick shook his head with a solemn look. "Not at all," he assured her, "You nearly had me fooled." His smile returned. "We work quite well together." He leaned down to kiss her temple.

"I did learn from the best," she allowed. She looked back at her team. "I want updates," she stated.

"Um, that Garcia woman has something to report," Van Pelt said. "She's waiting on the computer."

"Well bring her up and let's talk to her," Patrick told them in a bright voice. The three CBI agents, Hotch and Morgan all gathered around the computer as Garcia appeared on the screen. "You look lovelier than your picture," Patrick commented.

"Um, hello?" Garcia greeted.

"Garcia this is Patrick Jane, his wife Teresa and agent Grace Van Pelt. The Serious Crimes team is working this case with us," Hotch told her. "Now what do you have for us?"

"Right well, as you asked I have been going through the forensic files and have come up with zilch. I have also been reviewing the companies that you asked for but I really need more to work on. I've got a list of names that goes around the block twice."

"And there's no way to narrow it down?" Teresa asked.

"Not at this moment ma'am, I'm really sorry"

"What is with the 'ma'am'?" Teresa wondered.

Patrick rubbed her shoulders. He made a mental note to make this up to her later when everyone had gone. "Thank you anyway," he told Penelope, "We appreciate the help."

"Ah but I am not done," Garcia said brightly. "I have been running a search through Agent Van Pelt's computer and I tracked it back to the original computer. Now it is an internet café but the credit card that it was billed to was used recently. I'm still working through the incredible maze of red tape to find a name but I can tell you the location of the café and you can ask around."

"It's not much," Teresa murmured.

"But it is a start," Patrick told her. He looked back to the computer. "Thank you again, Miss Garcia."

"You're very welcome and may I just say that there is no where this man can hide that I will not find him. I promise you I will sniff him out before any more harm comes to you or your family," Garcia told them.

Patrick smiled at her as he reached over to end the call. "All that and still nothing," Teresa murmured. Patrick gripped her shoulder tighter. He would have to take her into the office again soon. Teresa squeezed his hand before pulling away. "Van Pelt, go with whatever people Agent Hotchner assigns to this and check out the internet café. The rest you keep digging. Red John has to have a chink in his armor somewhere."

"And we'll find it," JJ agreed. Teresa gave her a thin smile.

Hotch watched them for a moment. "Rossi, Prentiss, go with Van Pelt to this café, see what you can find." He turned to the Janes. "We need to talk about protection detail for tonight," he said.

"There's cops all over here," Teresa pointed out. "We'll be fine for tonight."

"I would feel better if there were some of our people around here to keep watch," Hotch told her.

Teresa turned to her husband. "We'll take it," he decided quietly. He pulled her back into his arms. She rested there for a moment. "Who will be staying here?"

"You may have your choice if you'd like," Hotch said.

"Just one agent," Teresa stated firmly. "We don't need an entire team."

"Agent Prentiss," Patrick decided. Teresa turned to look at him. He just kissed her hair. She knew it as the signal that he would explain it all later. She understood that this was one of those times where she had to trust him. "If that's alright with her, of course. Wouldn't want to be a bother or anything." Patrick gave them his charming grin.

Hotch looked them both over. "Prentiss, do you have a problem with that?" he asked.

Emily's eyes widened slightly at actually being asked her opinion on the assignment. "Uh, no, Hotch, not at all," she stammered out. "I would be happy to stay the night here."

"Lovely," Patrick smiled, "It's all settled then."

Teresa rubbed her eyes as Connor began to fuss. "I need to go feed my son," she said quietly. "Excuse me." Patrick pecked her on the cheek as she moved off.

"I'd get back to work," he told the team. Then he turned on his heel and went to sleep on his couch.

The BAU watched the display with some confusion. It got worse when Teresa came back. She bent to put Connor back in his car seat and then went into her office. "Yes this is normal," Grace told them as she passed to get something from the printer. They turned to their leader who shrugged.

"We have work," Hotch said. "Let's do it."


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of the day was spent chasing leads and doing paperwork. The BAU was frustrated by the evidence while the CBI was more concerned about their boss and her family. It was two very frustrated teams that ended the day. Hotch stopped to talk with Prentiss before heading to the hotel. "Are you sure you don't mind doing this?" he asked in a low voice.

"Of course not," she assured him. "How hard can it be?"

Hotch gave her a thin smile. "There's plenty of coffee here and Garcia will probably be checking in one more time before everything is done," he said. "If you need anything, just call."

Prentiss was about to reply when Patrick stuck his head in. "Something you need?" she asked.

"Oh no," he replied. "Just looking around." He gave them a wide grin before disappearing again.

"I take back the 'how hard can it be' comment," Prentiss stated.

"Hopefully his wife will keep him contained," Hotch told her.

"We'll see how that works out," she said. "But I'm fine here. You go on. I'll see you tomorrow." Hotch nodded and headed out.

Patrick watched as his wife took Connor to the bathroom to feed and change him. He knew all this stress was really getting to her. She needed a chance to relax for a little bit. Ironically, Thursdays were supposed to be their date night. The one night a week where they had a chance to just be themselves. There was no chance that they would be allowed to go out on a date tonight. The FBI would forbid it. Not that Patrick had any plans to bring it up since he wanted to keep his wife safe as possible. But she still needed some way to relax. Patrick's smile grew to Cheshire proportions as he hit upon a plan.

Teresa sighed as she fed Connor in the bathroom. Just a few days ago her family was completely normal. Now she was feeding her baby in the woman's bathroom of her work with a cop right outside the door to make sure she didn't get kidnapped. This was taking stress to a whole new level.

She finished with Connor and headed back to the main offices, continually aware of the agent following at a discreet distance. She set her son down in his crib and looked around for her husband. It was darker in here than when she had left. Probably to save on the electric bill. Most normal people had gone home by now. Too bad her family wasn't normal any more.

A pair of arms came around her waist, making Teresa stiffen. She relaxed as Patrick's warm voice rolled over her. "You look tired."

"I can't imagine why," she sighed, leaning against him. "I only have a psychotic serial killer after my family."

"Which is exactly why you need a night off," he decided.

Teresa frowned as she stiffened again. "A night off?" she asked suspiciously.

"Relax," he whispered. "I took care of everything."

Teresa let out a sigh. She wasn't all that big on trusting Patrick's surprises at work. But they were off the clock right now. And that was when Teresa trusted him most. "Alright. Let's see what you've cooked up now."

"Cooked up?" Patrick gave her a wounded look. "Teresa, I promise you that you will love what I have planned." Without waiting for her response, he pulled her into the break room.

Teresa gaped at the sight that met her eyes. The place had been transformed into a good restaurant. There was a table cloth, wineglasses, fine china, even candles. "Do I want to know how you managed this?" she asked.

Patrick shrugged. "A good magician never reveals his secrets." He tugged her seat out and gestured for her to sit.

Teresa was still wary but did as he asked. She knew Patrick was a good cook but she didn't realize he was a magician until she tasted what he had made with only the food in the break room. "You are…"

"Incredible? Wonderful? A god?"

Teresa laughed. "Unbelievable," she decided.

Patrick grinned. "I can work with that."

Teresa smiled as she continued to eat. By unspoken agreement they talked about everything except the current state of their lives. They would have plenty of time to be reminded about Red John and his obsession. Patrick had designed this night to give them some respite from all that. As soon as they were done, Patrick told Teresa to sit in the corner for a moment. He blew out the candles, set the dishes in the sink and threw away the trash. Then he led her out to the office where all the desks had been pushed against the wall making a wide open floor. Teresa frowned at her husband as he turned on a stereo he had hidden. "Dance with me," he requested, holding out a hand.

"Patrick, we're in the office," she reminded him.

"Yes and? There's no one here except Agent Prentiss and I highly doubt she would mind. But of course we can go ask her if you would like."

"I don't know."

Patrick fought his grin. He could feel her resolve crumbling. "Come on," he wheedled. "I'll even put on _More than Words _if you'd like. After this one of course."

_More Than Words _was their song. It had been since that high school reunion all those years ago. It had even played at their wedding. Teresa adored that song almost as much as she adored Patrick. "Alright," she agreed with a slight smile. "I'll dance with you."

Patrick grinned as she took his hand. He pulled her as tight as he could and they began to waltz slowly. "I love you," he whispered into her hair.

Prentiss smiled as she watched them through the glass. She had wanted to get another cup of coffee but she didn't want to interrupt the happy couple. They had slow danced to number of songs, including the one Patrick promised, and were now onto some faster ones. Patrick was forever trying to get Teresa to swing dance with him but she refused in a place with so many breakable objects.

She was glad her phone was on vibrate when it went off. She backed away from the window to answer it. "Prentiss."

"How's the baby sitting gig going?" Garcia asked.

"Have scientists perfected cloning yet because I want my own Patrick Jane."

"I thought he was a five year old on a sugar rush."

"Only when he's in a public eye."

"Tell me more."

Prentiss could actually hear Garcia get that particular look she always had when there was good gossip to be had. "Tonight was supposed to be date night. They get dressed up nice and go out for dinner and dancing, you know."

"But there's no way Hotch would let them out in some unprotected restaurant while a killer is still on the loose."

"I know. So does Jane. Which is why he brought date night inside."

"Brought date night inside?" Garcia repeated. "How exactly?"

"First, using only the ingredients in the break room, he makes her an incredible meal. Then he decks said break room out like a five star restaurant with candles and everything. The whole nine yards."

"Very nice. What's next?"

"Next, Jane cleans everything up and leads Teresa out to the main offices. There he turns on a stereo and asks her to dance. She was hesitant but they are…" Prentiss turned back to the window. "Good Lord, they're swing dancing right now."

"In the office?"

"Patrick has incredible powers of persuasion."

"Clearly."

Prentiss sighed. "Give me update on the case, okay? I need something to distract me from this scene or I swear I am kidnapping the husband."

Garcia let out a sigh of her own. "I wish I could give you good news. I still have nothing. This man is like a ghost. He is incredibly clever and can just vanish at will."

"But I thought you were better," Prentiss teased.

"Indeed I am. But you can't expect miracles overnight."

"Look you should get some rest. After all, what more could happen during the night? Let your computers search and come back with fresh eyes."

"I shall do so. You have fun with your voyeurism."

Prentiss was about to respond that it was protection duty and not voyeurism but Garcia had already hung up. "Problems at the office?" a voice called.

She jumped and turned to see Patrick standing in the doorway. "I was just talking to Garcia," she explained. "She was updating me on the case."

"No good news then."

"How do you know that?"

"Because if it had been good you would have come to tell us right way." He smiled at her. "It's alright. Red John has been out there for years. You can't expect to catch him on your first few days here."

"I guess so. Is there something you or Teresa needs?"

"Actually I was going to ask you if there was anything you needed. Teresa and I are planning to go to bed and we wanted to make sure there nothing you needed."

"Um, no, I'm good thanks."

Patrick grinned. "Good to know. Feel free to wake us up if that changes. Connor probably will anyway so don't feel too bad."

"Of course," Prentiss nodded.

Patrick smiled again and went back to his wife. He shucked his jacket and toed off his shoes. Teresa made sure that Connor was settled for the night before taking off her shoes as well. Patrick laid down on the couch first. He reached out his arms to his wife. Teresa smiled as she curled deeply into his side. It was far from comfortable but as long as Patrick and Connor were there, it felt like home. "I love you," she whispered.

Right as she was on the edge of sleep she heard an answering whisper. "I love you too."


	10. Chapter 10

I know all my faithful readers have been waiting anxiously for an update. Sadly I have lost my jump drive on which I stored all my stories. I have a back up but it hasn't been updated since March of last year. So I have to go through my many notebooks and other sources to scrape together what bits and peices of stories I can. This will delay any updates but I promise I'm working on everything.


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